Panthers make cuts
Young defensemen Keaton Ellerby and Erik Gudbranson survived another round of cuts as the Panthers demoted forwards Bill Thomas and Triston Grant as well as goalie Tyler Plante to Rochester before the game and sent four more after, including forwards Scott Timmins, Mike Duco, Evgeny Dadonov to Rochester. They also sent first-rounder center Quinton Howden back to Moose Jaw juniors.
Plante posted a 2.07 GAA in 29 minutes against Boston last week, and is clearly in the team’s future plans. Grant, 26, was a plus-3 and led the team with 9 PIM.
The Panthers are down to 30 and will chop at least seven more most likely by Sunday or Monday.
Who do you think’s going? Who will survive? Gudbranson? Ellersby? Santorelli? Want to start a pool?

Gudbrandson showed some leadership and maturity last night that was missing last year when Booth got hurt. Instead of watching Dadonov be pummeled, he got into it. Panthers could use that type of character any season. I still think Ellerby will stick over Gudbrandson. But either way, the team has a leader for the future.

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About the author

HARVEY FIALKOV, a tennis-playing sportswriter who grew up in Long Island following the dynastic Islanders, is the new Panthers beat writer for the Sun Sentinel and looking forward to writing about the best professional sports team in Broward County.